Montlieu Avenue through High Point University will be closed to the public later this year following a City Council vote Monday.

The council, minus absent Councilman Foster Douglas, unanimously approved a request from HPU to close the street between N. Centennial Street and N. College Drive.

HPU wants the street closed to public traffic by July to enable it to build a school of pharmacy, physical therapy and physician assistant studies, as well as a new undergraduate sciences building as part of a $125 million expansion.

A large crowd of supporters and opponents gathered at City Hall for a public hearing on the request, which drew about 20 speakers.

City leaders said they sympathized with the inconveniences the closure will cause for residents, but ultimately sided with HPU.

Councilman Jeff Golden, whose ward includes the section of the street to be closed, said he “reluctantly” supported the move. Some of the arguments against the closing were for sentimental reasons, he said, adding that he was satisfied that the move won’t affect public safety responses in the area.

“Change is going to happen,” Golden said.

HPU wants to use land it owns between Montlieu and Barbee avenues to build the new facilities by 2015.

This stretch of land isn’t deep enough to build the 300,000-square-foot facilities without incorporating part of Montlieu Avenue into the site, according to the university.

HPU plans to reroute Montlieu Avenue through its campus to accommodate the new buildings and allow for an expected 6,200 pedestrian crossings per day of the street when the new programs are operational.

Supporters said the university’s expansion will bring economic benefits to the city.

“We value greatly the economic impact HPU had on the community and the jobs that will be provided by this further expansion of the school,” said Scott Tilley, chairman of the High Point Partners, a business group.

Opponents voiced objections that included concerns about emergency services and the impact on neighborhoods surrounding the closure.

“I do see something wrong with letting them take over part of our city,” said resident Amy McConnell.

City officials said that, if HPU renames the closed section, at least one of the remaining segments of Montlieu Avenue, either east or west of the closure, will have to take the new name as well, to allow for continuity of street names.

This was news to council members and HPU leaders, who said they haven’t discussed whether to rename the street but have done so with past street abandonments.

This could have a major impact on people who live on Montlieu Avenue who would have to change their addresses, said Sims, who tried unsuccessfully to attach a requirement that HPU not change the name of the closed section.